Systole And Diastole — Fine Art

Systole And Diastole - 1962 turns on a clear rhythm of painted numbers set in a hard edge grid. Alfred Jensen fills small squares with colour and a single digit. The marks sit in steady rows and the eye follows the pattern from one side to the other.

The fine art paper keeps the number squares sharp and the colour flat. You see each painted cell without shine. A light frame on a dark wall lets the grid read clearly, or a dark frame on a pale wall sets the numbers apart. The frame finish can follow the room.

On a stairwell wall the numbered squares hold the eye as you climb. From the landing you catch the whole grid, on the steps you read the digits one by one.